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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26437570">Second  Chances</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/stultiloquent/pseuds/stultiloquent'>stultiloquent</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Fem!Jay AU [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>DCU (Comics), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Always a Different Sex, Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, Character Study, F/F, Female Jason Todd, Multi, Past Relationship(s), Pre-Relationship, Relationship Study, this is also author's first time writing a fight scene so bear with me, this is mostly introspection with minimal plot</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 04:42:13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,509</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26437570</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/stultiloquent/pseuds/stultiloquent</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Every time she looked at Artemis, it was like staring at God herself.</p><p>--</p><p>
  <strong>Fem!Jason x Artemis for Fem Jay Week - Free Day!</strong>
</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Akila of Bana-Mighdall/Artemis of Bana-Mighdall, Artemis of Bana-Mighdall/Jason Todd</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Fem!Jay AU [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2021363</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>46</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>FemJay Week 2020, Jason Todd Rare Pair Challenge</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Second  Chances</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>(If it's already Monday in your timezone that just means you get to post earlier, right?)</p><p>This story is based off of RHATO Rebirth #9 and #11. Spoilers for the Artemis &amp; Bow of Ra arc. If you haven't read it yet, highly recommend that you do!</p><p>Also, shout out to <a href="https://fishtre.tumblr.com/post/189985946612/thank-you-im-super-slow-to-update-but-i-hope">this wonderful drawing by fishtre</a>. That piece single-handedly got me interested in Jaytemis. Although, for the purposes of this story please imagine Jay with <a href="https://kuvshinov-ilya.tumblr.com/post/175339374110/ipad-sketch">a shorter haircut</a> instead.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Every time she looked at Artemis, it was like staring at God herself. From the moment she was thrown back by the force of Artemis breaking out of the LexCorp cargo trunk, sitting up to find the Amazon standing there proud and untouchable, she had wanted to be <em>like</em> her. For Jay, it wasn't easy to be taken seriously without unloading a few clips first. The way she looked in tight kevlar armour didn't help matters; too often, crooks would ogle the red Bat symbol on her chest instead. So, seeing the way Artemis wielded her axe, never out of breath and not a single hair out of place no matter what foe she was facing down... Jay could admit to being humbled in the Amazon's presence.</p><p>Except now, Jay was realising it hadn't been fair to Artemis to imagine her so flawlessly, either.</p><p>Sitting in a dive bar they'd just wrecked, polishing off their drinks over small talk, Jay finally learnt why Artemis had been so hellbent on her quest for this Bow of Ra. </p><p>The powerful tribe Artemis came from? All gone. The camaraderie of living among people you could call your own? All but a distant memory from another lifetime. And the one person you’d have trusted your life with... Jay might not understand their warrior culture, but it was obvious in the solemn hush of Artemis's every word. The Amazon still held a torch for this Akila chick - in spite of all the promises that fell empty in the end.</p><p>But that's just the problem with first loves, isn't it? You always think you have more time. </p><p>Morosely, Jay knocked back the rest of her shot. Her old friends would know what to say, how to turn this sour mood around. In a different time, a different place... <em>She</em> would have had wise words to share. <em>He</em> would've had dumb jokes that nevertheless put a smile on your face.</p><p>Jay looked back up at the woman before her and found green eyes already staring at her, arresting in all their defiance. Thoughts of old friends vanished all at once. Here, slouching under the Amazon's gaze and tongue clumsy with alcohol, Jay felt small in comparison, inadequate, but she could learn to get used to this shade of green...</p><p>"You must be much more of a lightweight than I expected if you're hitting on me <em>now</em>."</p><p>Jay snapped her mouth shut. Wait. When had she opened her mouth?</p><p>Artemis sighed. "Let's just go find the Bow."</p><p>Cheeks aflame, Jay hopped off her bar stool - and promptly fell onto the floor.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>By the time they arrived back at the night's lodging, the liquor had caught up to Jay completely. Artemis had to carry the near dead-weight of the woman up the stairs, careful not to wake Bizarro in the other room as she laid her down onto the bed.</p><p>She tugged the blanket over one shoulder and paused, taking in the sight of Jay dozing quietly and dreamlessly. Eyes closed and lips relaxed into a pout, she looked even younger, peaceful, almost contented in a way that she never was. There were nights Artemis would find Jay's bedroom empty, the occupant herself no doubt kept awake by her own skeletons in the closet. Still, there was a certain sweetness in the way she regarded the world - almost daring to be hopeful just to spite the Fates that had wronged her. Artemis was familiar with this sort of willful obstinacy, had known it intimately in her youth - a different girl, who fought hard and kissed even harder, and cared not one bit for the world she held in her palms if it meant Artemis couldn't rule by her side. Loving her came as naturally as breathing, and for a long time, Artemis almost believed that was in the goddesses' plans.</p><p>There was no use thinking about ghosts now. She's had mistakes and regrets dogging her footsteps for far too long, and tomorrow, she would locate the Bow and put an end to this once and for all.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>But two days later, Artemis found herself frozen in front of the very ghost she thought she had lost to the afterlife forever. </p><p>Memories had a way of rose-tinting the past. For Artemis, she had forgotten how ugly it had been at the end, when Akila lost her mind to the corrupting powers of the Bow. Akila did not hold back then, and she was not holding back now. </p><p>"I will not ask so nicely again, sister. Join me, and we can end this farce now."</p><p>Akila aimed and fired yet another deadly fireball at Artemis. She blocked the blow once more with her axe, but the force of it knocked her back by a few notches. It wouldn't be long before she was backed right into the crowd of civilians behind her.</p><p>Funny how they used to flirt by dueling to death, but when push came to shove, Artemis could not bring herself to deal a single offensive blow.</p><p>As she hesitated, a mass of red and black barreled into Akila's side. The resurrected Amazon cried out as two glowing blades sunk into her flesh. </p><p><em>The All-Blades? </em>Artemis had read about them, once. They were powerful weapons against evil spirits, but they shouldn't be able to hurt an Amazonian champion. <em>Unless...</em></p><p>"Don't you get it? She <em>loves</em> you!" Jay panted as she advanced with rapid-fire blows against Akila, fighting like her life depended on it. "She never gave up on you. Even when you were dead! People have betrayed each other for less!" </p><p>Akila grunted, redirecting every attack with her bow. A particularly forceful swipe wrenched one sword out of Jay's grasp. Gritting her teeth, Jay brought her remaining sword forward in one desperate thrust against the wrist that held the Bow. </p><p>"She's <em>still</em> trying to save you. And this is how you treat her?" </p><p>"<em>Enough!</em>" Akila roared as she caught the second sword with her bow and twisted, snapping the blade clean off in a shower of splintered sparks. She followed the momentum of it and kicked Jay down. Jay choked, all the air punched out of her lungs in an instant. Still, her first instinct was to unsheath her twin guns and keep on fighting. Blinking against the pain, she sat up - and found herself face to face with the tip of a flaming arrow, nocked on taut bowstring. </p><p>"Akila, <em>stop</em>!" </p><p>Artemis cried out. It was all she could do. She was too far away, and by the time she threw her axe at Akila, there would be nothing left of Jay.</p><p>Jay once told Artemis that this was her second chance at life. That she had died once, and came back to life. But, she said, it was far from the miracle as advertised. It was more like a cruel joke of the universe, to bring her back to life, but have her witness all the ways the world had moved on and forgotten about her. To give her time with a second, surrogate mother, but never a chance to return her to her fathers a loved daughter again. A fluke of the gods that, Jay was sure, wouldn't happen a third time.</p><p>Jay knew she wouldn't survive Akila.</p><p>All at once, Artemis understood the choice she must make.</p><p>"Bizarro!" She called out, and in the next second, Akila's arrow shot off a few inches to Jay's left, aim thrown off by Bizarro charging at her at super-speed.</p><p>There was no time to waste, no time to check on Jay, as Artemis surged forward with the surety that the entity inhabiting the woman before her was no longer the Akila she knew. The three of them kettled the resurrected Amazon away from the civilians as they traded blows with her and her wicked bow, until she was finally disarmed and willing to listen to one last attempt to talk some sense into her. </p><p>But it was too late. An unholy light erupted inside of her, and Artemis blinked back tears as the woman she once loved begged for a mercy killing.</p><p>Artemis would remember the way the sky lit up with her all-consuming flames for a long time.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>It was a while before Artemis came back to herself. A gentle hand landed on her shoulder, and she leaned into the warmth of the younger woman beside her.</p><p>"Thank you, Jay." <em>For risking your life for me.</em></p><p>"Hey, we're both alive, so let's just call it even."</p><p>Artemis turned around and faced Jay properly. She looked a little worse for wear, leather jacket singed at places and hair a disheveled mop from wearing the helmet. But she was smiling at Artemis, a small grin on split lips, dusty cheeks dimpling.</p><p>Maybe... maybe staying with Jay would be a nice change of pace.</p><p>"You gonna be okay?"</p><p>Artemis reached out and held onto Jay's retreating hand. She watched as Jay's eyes flicked downwards, eyes widening a little, cute blush beginning to bloom on her cheeks. </p><p>"Yeah. I will be."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>You can find me on <a href="https://stvlti.tumblr.com/">Tumblr</a>!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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